


the lost son

by ghostfaeries



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Hopeful Ending, Hurt Jason Todd, Hurt/Comfort, Resurrected Jason Todd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:49:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26796895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostfaeries/pseuds/ghostfaeries
Summary: There was a dark figure in front of the one thing he couldn’t stand to look at, lest it bring back memories from that one awful day, the day he lost everything all over again.Jason’s memorial case.~What if Jason immediately came to Bruce after the Lazarus Pit and Bruce recognised him?
Relationships: Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 208





	the lost son

**Author's Note:**

> I don't have much time to write these days but I randomly got inspiration a few days ago bc I got emotional about Jason once again so I wrote this  
> Don't think any trigger warnings apply besides vague references to Jason's death  
> Hope you enjoy!

There was someone in the cave. Bruce knew it the moment he stepped foot into it. It felt disturbed, somehow, although he hadn’t actually seen anything out of the ordinary yet. He slid through the cave, silent as the night, looking for the intruder. His eyes scanned the area. Everything was still, but almost unnaturally so, as if the Batcave was holding its breath in anticipation. Even the bats had settled down and gone quiet, as if they could feel something was off. 

At first, Bruce didn’t see anyone. Everything was in the right place and there was no sign of intruders. Then, Bruce’s eye fell on it. The thing that haunted his thoughts and corrupted his dreams. Red, yellow, green, red. A once gleaming R proudly displayed on the chest, now forever dirtied and obscured by ash. The suit. _His_ suit. 

There was a dark figure in front of the one thing he couldn’t stand to look at, lest it bring back memories from that one awful day, the day he lost everything all over again. 

Jason’s memorial case. 

The intruder was facing it, shoulders drawn high, with one hand pressed to the glass, as if reaching out to the suit. 

Anger surged through Bruce, and he called out, stealth be damned. His kids were untouchable. Always had been. Especially _him_. If the intruder had even _thought_ of doing anything to that case... Well. It wouldn’t turn out well for them. 

“Get away from there!” 

The figure flinched, jumping and turning around. Their hands went up to clutch at their eyes, as if they were injured. Or to hide something. 

“Who are you? How did you find this place?” 

The person hunched over at his shout, like it hurt them. They whimpered slightly, face still covered. 

Bruce was rapidly approaching, the stranger making no move to get away from him until Bruce was standing right in front of them. Then, they backed away, still cowering and hiding their face. Their still coiled up body was making strange, jerky movements, one second seeming like it was trying to lunge for Bruce, the next, getting away as quick as possible. Like they were holding themself back. 

They didn’t seem like a threat. They seemed... afraid. 

Something in his gut told Bruce they wouldn’t harm him. He didn’t know why he knew that, he just did. 

Bruce shifted his voice to scared victim mode. “Hey, it’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.” He held up his hands to show he wasn’t carrying any weapons. 

The person shivered and withdrew, as if the gentleness in his voice hurt more than his yells. 

“Please... get away from me.” They were talking so softly Bruce could barely hear them. “I’m dangerous.” 

Bruce still had no idea who they were, their clothes were plain black and unidentifiable, but they needed help and Bruce was going to provide it. “Shh, don’t worry. It’s okay. You won’t hurt me.” 

Bruce tentatively reached out, and the stranger automatically reached for him as well, a familiar gesture. In order to do so, they had to remove their hands from their face. Black hair shot through with a shock of white tumbled over their forehead, half obscuring his eyes, but not enough for Bruce not to see they were glowing a bright, venomous green. His features had a familiarity to them, sharp cheekbones from malnutrition, a soft scattering of freckles over the nose bridge, an eternal mischievous lilt to the corner of the mouth. But it couldn’t be... It couldn’t. He was- he was gone. It couldn’t be him. 

And yet. 

Scared, green glazed eyes looked up at him, shedding a single tear.

_“Bruce.”_

His voice was breathy and scratchy and heavier than he remembered, but still oh so familiar. 

“Jason?” Bruce’s voice cracked on the word, but he pushed it out anyway. He hadn’t uttered his name _since_. It was familiar on his tongue, yet strange. It felt sharp and warm and soft and cold and so achingly familiar it hurt. “Is that you?” 

He seemed to relax at his name, a blanket of familiarity, cloaking him in warmth and trust and safety. When he spoke again, his voice was significantly calmer, though there was still a raw edge to it. 

“Yeah. Yeah, it’s me.” 

As his eyes glowed a brighter green, another shiver tore through the boy, the man, the son, distorting his next words. “I’m scared, Dad. It hurts.” 

Bruce surged forward, taking his son into his arms. His son, his son, his son. 

“I know, I’m sorry, I’m here.” 

Jason relaxed in his arms immediately. “I know.” 

“You’re safe with me.” 

“I know.” 

“You’ll be okay.” 

“I know.” 

Jason’s body had changed, he was nearing Bruce’s height now and was more muscular than before, but he still fit in Bruce’s embrace perfectly. 

And Bruce held his lost son, a damp patch slowly forming on his shoulder, but he paid it no mind. He knew everything was going to be okay. He didn’t know how, but he had his son back. It would be okay. The lost son had come home. 

  


**Author's Note:**

> Basically what happened is that Jason saw the Robin suit and the Pit Madness got activated, and he was trying to hold back from attacking Bruce, if that was unclear
> 
> Please tell me what you thought!!


End file.
